Manolo says, here is the Manolo’s latest column for the Express of the Washington Post.

Dear Manolo,

I’m a brand new teacher of middle school students, so I need some comfortable, yet affordable and stylish shoes to wear to work. Please help.

Lauren

Manolo says, oh how the Manolo admires the young, idealistic new teachers filled with hope and the indomitable spirit. They are so eager to get into the classroom and start teaching, so convinced that the World will be theirs for asking.

Unfortunately, the World has other plans for our new teacher, plans which mostly involve wrestling her into submission right after homeroom, giving her the noogie, and taking away her lunch money.

Yes, it is true, the World is both the poor student who never learns and the terrible bully who causes all sorts of trouble. Indeed, over and over again, the principal has sent letters home to the World’s parents . . . letters which went completely unanswered. And, who can forget that one time the school district suspended the World for his bad behavior? He just waited outside the gate of the schoolyard, glowering through the chainlink fence at everyone whom he felt had wronged him.

Happily, most of us who reach the age of the middle have learned how to manage with the World, but for the new teacher of middle schoolers, well, we can only wish her the best.

Here is the Katherine 3 from the Isaac Mizrahi New York, the cheery blue ballet flat suitable for the new teacher.